First Baptist Church Litchfield
Fundraiser 2026
  • Good evening.
    Imagine for a moment a young student standing at the threshold of adulthood. He has learned to read, but he does not know what is worth reading. He can solve equations, but he cannot discern truth from error. He has been told he can become anything, but has never been taught what he ought to become.
    Now ask the harder question:

    What kind of man will he be?

    Will he be governed by the truth or by his impulses? Will he stand firm in his nonnegotiable convictions or will he bend to please the culture?

    Will he live for Christ or will he live for himself?

    That question, what kind of person this child will become, is the question that stands at the very heart of education.
    And it is the question that defines everything we do at Litchfield Christian School.
    Because every child is like a vine: full of life, full of potential, created by God to grow, to bear fruit, and to flourish. But a vine left to itself does not grow upward. It spreads along the ground, tangled and unfruitful. It needs support. It needs direction. It needs something strong to guide its growth.
    The family is also part of the vine; God’s good design, given the responsibility to nurture and raise the child.
    At Litchfield Christian School, we seek to be the trellis, coming alongside families to support, guide, and strengthen what God has already established.
    Our mission is to strengthen families and empower children with a Christian classical education so they can learn, lead, and serve in the church, the community, and the home.

    We exist to strengthen families.

    At Litchfield Christian School, we believe God gave children to parents, not institutions. That means our role is not to replace the family, but to strengthen it.
    As Martin Luther reminds those who bear the responsibility of having children, “Let every parent remember that he is a steward of God, entrusted with the care of his children.”
    We serve as the trellis. We come alongside the vine to support its growth. We do this by reinforcing parental authority, by cultivating a unified vision of truth so the vine grows straight and not tangled, and by forming virtuous habits in students that support life in the home, habits like work ethic, responsibility, accountability, courage, compassion, and excellence that help the vine grow strong and bear fruit.
    We also come alongside parents, encouraging and equipping them, because when the family vine is well tended and supported, it flourishes.
    And ultimately, we anchor everything in Christ, the true root and source of life, because strong families do not grow by convenience or cultural drift, but by truth, grace, and obedience to God. By God’s grace we exist to strengthen families.
    If strengthening families is where we begin, then empowering children is where we go.

    We Empower Children

    Let me give you a picture of what we mean by empoweirng children.

    We Empower Children by Laying the Foundation for Growth

    If you are constructing a home, you would never begin with the roof or the walls. You start with the foundation. If the foundation is weak, everything built on top of it will eventually crack, shift, or collapse.
    But when the foundation is strong, carefully laid, measured, and reinforced, the house can stand firm through storms, pressure, and time.
    That is what we are doing at Litchfield Christian School. We are not in the business of adding information to students’ lives. We are laying a firm foundation beneath the vine so it can grow upward, not downward, stronger rather than tangled.
    And that foundation is built on six core convictions.
    Every child needs faith, reason, truth, wisdom, tradition, and maturity. Through a Christian classical education, we cultivate each one so the vine grows straight, strong, and fruitful.

    Faith Roots the Vine in Christ

    Every child needs faith in the one true God. We strive every day to help our students develop a settled confidence in the truth of God’s Word and the lordship of Christ.
    We integrate Scripture, prayer, and doctrine into every subject so students come to see that all truth belongs to God.
    As Book of Proverbs teaches, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Faith is the root that anchors the vine deep into Christ, the true source of life.
    Secondly, every child needs reason.

    Reason Trains the Vine to Grow Straight

    Through the classical tools of grammar, logic, and rhetoric, we train the mind to grow in order, clarity, and discipline. Grammar provides the structure, logic strengthens the mind, and rhetoric gives expression to truth.
    As Aristotle writes in Nicomachean Ethics, Book I,
    “It is the mark of an educated man to look for precision in each class of things just so far as the nature of the subject admits.” Aristotle Nicomachean Ethics, Book I,
    In other words, an educated mind knows how to think clearly, carefully, and appropriately about what is true. In this way, we do not allow the vine to grow wild and tangled in confusion. We train it to grow straight, ordered, and strong.
    Thridly, we empower children with truth.

    Truth Gives the Vine Solid Ground

    Every child needs truth because truth is not merely useful, it is life giving. Truth is not shaped by opinion or shifting culture. It is fixed, objective, and grounded in the character of God.
    At Litchfield Christian School, we immerse students in the great books of our tradition, works like The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh, King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table, The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer, and The Republic by Plato.
    Alongside these, they study the great works of history, including History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides and Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville, so they learn not only what has happened, but why it has happened and what can we learn from it.
    Through these works, students encounter the great ideas that have shaped Western civilization. They learn that truth is objective and knowable, that the world is ordered and meaningful, that virtue is essential to a good life, and that every individual bears dignity and responsibility before God. They come to see that freedom must be governed by truth, that language shapes thought and leadership, and that faith and reason work together.
    In this way, they encounter what is good, true, and beautiful as realities that shape how they see the world and how they live rightly and wisely within it.
    As Thomas Aquinas writes in Summa Theologiae,
    “Truth is the conformity of the intellect to reality.” Thomas Aquinas in Summa Theologiae
    Without truth, the vine has no place to take hold. It grows along unstable ground. But when rooted in truth, it gains strength, direction, and stability.
    Fourthly, we empower children with wisdom.

    Wisdom Teaches the Vine to Bear Good Fruit

    Every child needs wisdom not just for the sake of knowledge, but the ability to love what is right and reject what is wrong.
    In Scripture, wisdom is ḥokmah, rooted in the fear of the Lord. As Book of Proverbs teaches, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7).”
    From this foundation flows creational wisdom, the ability to see the order God has built into the world, moral wisdom, the ability to discern good from evil, and traditional wisdom, the faithful passing down of truth from one generation to the next.
    At Litchfield Christian School, we cultivate this wisdom through stories, history, relationships, and Scripture, shaping the moral imagination so students do not merely know the good, but come to love what is good.
    As C. S. Lewis writes in The Abolition of Man,
    “Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil.” C. S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man
    We are not in the business of making clever devils. We want children who fear the Lord, love what is right, and bear the fruit of wisdom in the church, community, and home.
    Fifth, we empower children with tradition.

    Tradition Guides the Vine Along a Proven Path

    We place students within the great stream of Christian and Western thought, a living inheritance passed down across generations. Students encounter the enduring works of history, literature, language, theology, and philosophy that have shaped civilization.
    We do not want to have our students merely study the past, but to participate in a living ongoing conversation. Students learn from those who have gone before them and walk paths that have been tested and proven true.
    And this inheritance is passed down not only through books but through relationships, through teachers, parents, and mentors who embody the truths they teach.
    At Litchfield Christian School, we guide the vine along a trellis that has held firm through the ages so it does not collapse under the weight of novelty or drift without direction.
    Finally, we empower children with maturity.

    Maturity Prepares the Vine to Bear Weight

    Every child needs maturity. Our goal is not prolonged childhood but prepared adulthood. We are forming students who can stand, take responsibility, lead with humility, and serve with discipline.
    As Aristotle explains in Nicomachean Ethics, Book II,
    “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Aristotle Nicomachean Ethics, Book II
    Maturity is formed through consistent patterns of discipline and responsibility. It is the point at which the vine is no longer fragile, but strong enough to bear weight and produce fruit. In classical terms, this reflects the formation of habit, those repeated actions that, over time, shape character and enable a person to act rightly with stability and strength.
    Because the goal of education is to impart knowledge and truth, it must also aim at forming the student into a man or woman who is prepared to live faithfully before God and to love his neighbor. Education, therefore, is not merely the transfer of information, but the cultivation of wisdom, virtue, and rightly ordered affections.
    When you step back, you can see how this connects to everything we have said tonight.

    The Vine and the Trellis Grow Together

    The family is the vine, God’s design, full of life and responsibility. The school is the trellis, coming alongside to support, guide, and strengthen.
    And this classical Christian education, this formation in faith, reason, truth, wisdom, tradition, and maturity, is what enables that vine to grow strong, upright, and fruitful.
    And that kind of growth does not happen accidentally.
    It requires intentionality. It requires faithfulness. And it requires investment.
    Tonight, we are inviting you to invest in something that will outlast all of us.
    You are not simply supporting a school. You are strengthening families. You are forming souls. You are helping raise up young men and women who will stand firm in truth, lead with conviction, and serve Christ in every sphere of life.
    So I invite you tonight, not just to give, but to invest in the kind of formation that shapes lives for generations.
    Because the question still stands.
    What kind of person will this child become? What kind of man or woman will your child become, or your grandchild? These future men and women will be your neighbors, your employers and employees, your community leaders.
    By God’s grace, and through faithful partnership, we are working to ensure that answer to that question of what kind of person will this child become is clear.
    A man of truth. A woman of conviction. A servant of Christ.
    Thank you.
  • Everyone knows someone who is naturally talented. Things seem to come easily for them. They pick things up quickly, and for a time, success seems to follow wherever they go. Their talent carries them far, but rarely all the way to the finish line, because talent often forgets the power of a strong work ethic.
    But there is another kind of person, the one who outworks the talented. This person practices more, works harder, and stays later. They fight for every square inch of success. And eventually, the hardworking person surpasses the talented one because, as Tim Notke says, “Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.”
    My dad, the Headmaster of LCS, has always encouraged me, and all of his students, to value a strong work ethic. He was the one who first introduced me to that quote. But tonight, I don’t want to simply lecture you about working hard. I want to inspire you to understand what actually drives a strong work ethic: gratitude.

    Gratitude fuels a strong work ethic because it turns obligation into opportunity, produces joy in our labor, and drives faithful stewardship.

    1. Gratitude turns obligation into opportunity

    My dad begins each morning at LCS by encouraging us to make it a great day, and we do that by valuing work ethic. He reminds us that because our education is a gift from God, our work is also a gift from God.
    As G.K. Chesterton once said, “Gratitude is the highest form of thought.” And when our thinking changes, our work changes. We stop saying, “I have to,” and we begin saying, “I get to.”
    Valuing work ethic reshapes our mindset. Instead of complaining, “I don’t want to do this assignment” or “I don’t want to do my homework,” we begin to say, “My education is a gift from God. I get to study great works in history, science, and literature. I get to learn from Pastor Shipley, Ms. Williams, and Mrs. Lupton.”
    And when my perspective on work changes, my perspective on where I work changes too. I no longer say, “I don’t want to go to school.” Instead, I say, “I get to go to LCS.”
    Because of your generosity, students like me are learning to develop an attitude of gratitude, one that transforms obligation into opportunity. It gives us the privilege of engaging truth, goodness, and beauty.
    And gratitude doesn’t just change how we see our work, it changes how we experience it.

    2. Gratitude Produces Joy For Your Labour

    Gratitude makes hard work meaningful and even enjoyable. When we are thankful, we stop working just to finish the job and begin working with a sense of purpose.
    Work is not a punishment; it is part of God’s good design. In Genesis, God gave Adam and Eve the task of cultivating the garden and ruling over His creation. Work only became difficult after sin entered the world in Genesis 3 at the Fall. Yes, work became hard, but sin did not take away its goodness. The truth in God’s word can be seen in everyday activities like sports.
    I am thankful that I get to play volleyball at LCS. Even though practices are hard, I endure because I love the game. It’s the early mornings, the sore muscles, and the long car rides to games that shape me into the athlete I want to become. Gratitude for the work gives me joy; it transforms my labour into a love for the game.
    When gratitude shapes our hearts, work becomes more than an obligation; it becomes an opportunity for joy, something we are truly glad to do.
    Which leads me to my final thought.

    3. Gratitude Drives Faithful Stewardship

    Gratitude compels us to use our gifts well. When a student recognizes the gift of work, she feels a responsibility to develop the talents God has given her and to pursue excellence in her work. I am thankful for the abilities God has given me, not to prove myself, but to honor what I have received from Him. God does not intend for our gifts to remain idle. As Tim Notke rightly says, “Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.” Gratitude ensures that our talents do not sit idle, but are put to faithful and purposeful use.

    …you will not just work harder; you will work better.

    So, when we put all of this together, we see that gratitude does not just influence our work; it fuels it. Remember those two students, one who said, “I have to,” and the other who said, “I get to.” Gratitude is the difference. It turns obligation into opportunity, creates joy in effort, and drives us to steward our gifts well. The hardest-working people are not always the most talented; they are the most thankful. LCS is a place where students can achieve great success, not by talent alone, but through a strong work ethic fueled by gratitude. When gratitude for God’s gift of work fuels your heart, you will not just work harder; you will work better.
First Baptist Church Litchfield
pastorjason.fbcl@gmail.com
217-324-4232
http://www.firstbaptistlitchfield.org/
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